The Roman Dynasty: Neptune's Honor
by The Jamerican
Summary: Percy and Jason have the potential to surpass Romulus and Remus. They have the potential to lead Rome into the next dynasty. Both demigods seek to be the best and both seek to honor their parents. Both demigods are also natural leaders. Will they clash, divide and destroy Rome as they seek greatness or will they unite to lead Rome to greatness? Only time will tell... #AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Full credit for characters and any other intellectual property of Rick Riordan. I am merely building a foundation based on his work and do not claim possession of it.**

 **Perseus**

Hello, my name is Perseus Jackson and you may not call me Percy unless I explicitly say so. I am the son of Neptune, the Roman God of the Sea. As a child, I was raised by Sally Jackson who is my mother until I was ten years old. On my tenth birthday, my birthday party was crashed by a hellhound. I remember the memory as if it was yesterday. I was celebrating with my birthday with my friends and family at my house. My mother made me a cake that was blue inside and outside because she knew it was my favorite. I was about to blow out my ten birthday candles when the hellhound attacked. It seemed like they appeared out of nowhere because I did not notice their presence until the entire room went crazy. Everyone began to scream and panic. Some individuals were running for the exit while others were jumping through the window. To be quite honest with you, it was pretty funny as I watched my friends and family go crazy. I had completely forgotten about the hellhound as I immersed myself in the reactions of my friends and family. It was funny until I realize that the hellhound was ignoring everyone else and coming directly for me. As it pressed towards me, I began to step back slowly. Each step that it took forward was another step that I took backwards.

"Percy!", my mother screamed as she moved towards me. As I observed my mother more closely, I realized that she showed no signs of fear. However, she wore a sad expression on her face. "Focus on the water, it shall save both of us my son. Follow your gut!", she added.

I did not understand what she meant by use the water but I followed nonetheless as my mother has never led me down the wrong road before. I closed my eyes and thought about water but nothing happened. I began to get anxious as I opened my eyes. A couple seconds later, I was pinned to the ground by the hellhound. The hellhound opened his mouth to end my life and I closed my eyes preparing for the impact but it never came. I opened my eyes to see my mother throwing anything she could find at the hellhound.

"Percy run!", she bellowed as she kept throwing objects at the beast. The beast was getting annoyed by my mother's action so he attacked her. He pinned her on the ground in the same positon as it had previously done to me but this time was different. It was different because the very thought of my mother being harmed triggered an impulsive need to protect her. It was at that point that I followed my gut as she had insisted before. I held out my hands similar to how a butterfly opens its wings and soon water began to flow from every direction. It was like there was a river in my apartment and my hands were the river mouths. As the water gathered at my fingertips, the hellhound noticed what was happening and attacked me once again.

I looked at the beast defiantly and screamed, "No one touches my mother". I clapped both of my hands together and the water rushed towards the hellhound. The water hit the hellhound with such force that it disappeared on impact. The only thing that was left in its absence was golden dust. The water disappeared and I rushed towards my mother to see if she was okay.

As I was inspecting her body for injuries, she smiled at me proudly before saying, "I knew that you could do it. You will be a great warrior one day Perseus, I believe in you".

"Thank you mom but what exactly did I do?", I asked curiously.

"You just successfully controlled your father's domain and killed your first monster my dear son", she replied happily. She stood up and dusted herself off. "You are the son of Neptune Perseus but now is not the time to talk. I must get you to the place that your father spoke off", she added.

She went into her room to get something but I was still processing the bombshell that was just dropped on me. I am the son of Neptune. I am a half – god and a son of one of the most powerful gods as well. I guess that in a sense I was not very surprised. I had always had an inclination to water especially sea water. I even remember the time when a class of fishes called me 'lord'. I thought I was just suffering from a loss of oxygen but apparently it really happened. My mom returned with two envelops and a sea green ball.

She stooped down on one knee so that she could look me in the eye. "I will always love you no matter what Perseus but it is time for you to become the hero that you were destined to be. In my hand, I have two envelopes and a transportation ball that your father left for this specific moment. One letter is for you and the other letter you will know what to do when you reach your destination. Do you understand what I have said so far?" she asked.

"Yes, I do", I replied.

"Good, now I want you to smash this ball at your feet when I say so and you will be on your way. I know everything must be confusing right now but it will make sense soon. I will contact you as soon as I can but until please remain safe and follow your gut instinct", she whispered as tears started to fall from her eyes. I immediately realized how hard this must be for her even though I did not fully understand what was happening.

I pulled my mom into a hug and whispered, "Don't worry about me mom. I do not know what exactly is happening but whatever it is I promise that I will be the best that I can be".

She wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "That is the least of my concerns Perseus, I know you will make me proud. She smiled after she finished speaking and I returned it wholeheartedly. She kissed my forehead and added, "Smash the ball when you are ready and be safe".

"I won't let you down mom and I love you", I replied as I smashed the ball.

Well that was my backstory and now it is time for me to catch you all up to date. After I smashed the ball, I reappeared in Lupa's wolf house. Lupa greeted me very harshly but I was strangely not afraid of her. She told me that my lack of fear was very impressive for my age and also unusual. Then she asked me why I was here and I gave her the other letter that my mother had given me. After she finished reading the paper, she gave me a pitiful look and began to explain her job. She told me about New Rome and the twelfth legion. She also told me that she would be giving the basic training and I would be on my way to New Rome. She told me to rest the night because I would have a hectic couple of weeks ahead of me.

 ** _Later that night_**

Later that night I opened the letter from my dad. When I opened the letter, I saw a pen with a Latin inscription that translated into Riptide. I took out the pen and began to read my dad's letter.

 _Dear Percy,_

 _If you're reading this, then I guess that I am too late. I thought that I would be able to contact you personally when you were exposed to the godly world but alas I am too late. The purpose of this letter is to let you know that I have not forgotten about you. I may not be able to contact you or talk to you all the time because of divine rules but I am always watching over. At Camp Jupiter, you will experience hardships solely because you are my son. The Romans are not very fond of the sea and you will unfortunately bear the brunt of their dislike. I apologize for such a misfortune in advance but I know that you will overcome anything that constrains. After all, the sea cannot be constrained my son and I know that you will bring honor to my name. In this envelop, you will also find your birthday gift. I hope that you like it. Train hard and be honorable by son – Yours truly, Neptune._

I closed the heartfelt letter from my dad with newfound motivation and determination. 'I will not let you down father. I will bring honor to your name', I prayed silently.

 ** _Time skip: Two months later_**

 **Narrator**

For the next two months, Percy trained ferociously under Lupa's guidance. She taught him the ways of Rome and how it operates. She told him what it meant to be a Roman and Percy took it all in. He was dedicated to bring honor to his father and his dedication was shown through his training. He practiced day and night with his sword and godly powers for two months. He was so dedicated that even Lupa was slightly impressed. However, Percy's time with Lupa was coming towards an end. It was time for Percy to go to Camp Jupiter. Lupa realizing this summoned Percy one day to talk to him.

"You have done well Perseus Jackson. You are on the path of a great Roman general if you keep this up. Who knows, you might even be my next Remus", Lupa said.

"Thank you my lady but surely you did not call me here to praise me", Percy replied sternly. Lupa looked at Percy from head to toe. She smiled inwardly as she saw the fine soldier he had morphed into in the timespan of two months. His body was more define and he was in tremendous shape. Even as a child, his body was that of a man. His face was very angular and his sea green eyes radiated power but demanded respect. They also possessed a pitch of rebellion but that was understandable as one cannot constrain the sea. The only thing that Lupa was dissatisfied with was Percy's refusal to comb his messy hair. Lupa had tried multiple times to get him to comb it but he refused on the basis that it was the only physical trait that he got from his mom and he would keep it. Lupa was brought out of her train of thought when Percy cleared his throat impatiently.

"Patience my young one, you must learn patience", Lupa reprimanded him.

"My apologies", Percy said.

"But you were right. I did not call you here to praise you. I summoned you here because it is time for you to go to Camp Jupiter. It is time for you to start building your legacy. As a son of Neptune, you will not be well liked at camp. You will most likely be placed in the fifth cohort because of this dislike as well. If you truly want to honor your father, then you must not let this hold you down. You must work hard and show everyone that you are worthy of being respected. Do you understand Perseus?" Lupa asked.

"Yes, I understand", Percy replied confidently.

"Good, I have one last thing to give you before you leave for camp. Your father has asked me to give you another sword as he has been following your training", Lupa said. Percy smiled inwardly as he heard those words. "He sees your potential to be one of the greatest swordsmen in history. I told of your inefficiency with a shield and recommend that you become a dual sword wielder to compensate", Lupa added. When Lupa was finished talking, she gave Percy a small box.

When Percy opened the box, he saw a golden ring with a sea green emerald within it. He placed the ring on his finger and looked to Lupa for instructions on how to use it.

"The sword has been specially made for you. Thus, if you will it to activate then it will", she said. Percy did as he was told and the sword activated. The sword was different from Riptide as it was silver instead of gold and it had a trident carved on the blade itself. Percy whispered a silent prayer of gratitude to his father.

"Thank you for everything you have done for me Lupa. I will not let your efforts be in vain", Percy said respectfully.

"Aut vincere aut mori", Lupa replied. Percy immediately knew what she said. She told him to 'Conquer or Die '.

Percy nodded in response and then embarked on his journey to Camp Jupiter.

 ** _Two Weeks Later….._**

The past two weeks have been very hectic for Percy. He has fought a total of 10 hellhounds so far. On top of that, he lost all of his supplies during one of these fights. Not only was Percy tired but he was also starving. But all of his current troubles were about to come to an end. He was finally approaching his destination. He could feel it within his stomach. He was entering a dark tunnel and a sense of home was increasing as he walked forward.

 **Jason**

Hello my name is Jason Grace. I am the son of Jupiter and Juno's champion. Yes, I know it's weird that I am her champion especially since everyone assumes that she hates all of Jupiter's children. But that is simply false information. She is pretty sweet once you get to know her. She rescued me from my mother's rage after my sister abandoned me. See my mother was an alcoholic and she physically abused me whenever she went on her rampages. My sister Thalia used to protect me from her rampages but one day she just disappeared without a trace.

She left me to the mercy of my dear mother. For one week straight, I bared the full force of my mother's rampages. Luckily, Juno came to my rescue after that horrendous week. She told me that I was the son of Jupiter and her step – son as a result. She told me that she was not angry at me for my birth because I am not to be blamed for my father's actions. She healed some of my scars as she started to tell me about my Roman heritage.

She told me how Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus. She spoke about them in a very honorable manner which made me aspire to be like them. She told that they were both sons of Mars and that they were both trained by Lupa. She said that this started a tradition which still exists as new legionnaires are still trained by Lupa today. June told me that she would be sending me to Lupa when she was finished talking to me. Juno then began to tell me about Camp Jupiter. She told me that it was a camp designated to protect and train the children of the Roman gods and descendants/ legacies. The campers within this camp are disciplined, formal and warlike just like Roman Gods. Juno said that I would learn more about Romans when I am training with Lupa but she just told me the basics.

Towards the end of our conversation, Juno asked me to be her adopted son and Champion. I was going to say yes because I really appreciate everything that she did for me. She cared for me and she was more of a motherly figure than my biological mother even though I just met her. However, before I could accept her offer she started to explain to me the reasoning behind her request. Juno said that she has never had a demigod child before as she is the Goddess of marriage. She explained how she never had the joy of demigods bringing honor to her name. She has watch demigods honor their parents for millennia and she craves such honor. Juno also said that she craved the bond that most demigods have with their godly parent and that's why she has gained the reputation of hating Jupiter's kids. She told me that she did not hate us but that she envied her husband and took out her anger on us.

As she was talking, I could not help but feel sorry for her. She had truly suffered much throughout her time as the queen of gods. I hugged her midsentence and said, "It's okay mom". She embraced me in a loving hug and thanked me for giving her the opportunity to be my mom. After Juno was finished embracing, she flashed us to the Wolf House. Lupa greeted us upon arrival. Lupa is a big red wolf with silver eyes. She is known as the Wolf Goddess and Guardian of Rome. Juno and Lupa had a private conversation. When their conversation was over, Juno came over to talked to me. She told that she would always watch over me and that it was time for me to begin my journey. Juno then kissed me on my forehead and flashed away.

For the next two months I trained with Lupa. She thought me the values of a true Roman soldier and she taught me everything I needed to know for survival through harsh examples. Although her lessons were harsh, they were necessary as I learned what I needed to learn. When the two months had passed, Lupa told me that it was time for me to go to Camp Jupiter. She told me that great things would be expected of me since I was the son of Jupiter and the champion of Juno. Lupa also told me that I have the potential to be her next Romulus if I played my cards right. This greatly encouraged as I had always dream to follow in the great Roman's footsteps since the very first time I heard about him from Juno. Lupa gave me a gift from Juno and then she sent me on my journey. I opened the gift before I left on my journey. My gift was a sword that could transform into a bracelet and shield that transformed into a watch. I silently thanked Juno as I left for Camp Jupiter.

It took me two weeks to arrive to Camp Jupiter. I would have been there sooner if I wasn't attacked by the manticore on my way here. My fight with the manticore was my first real monster fight. I thought I was good as a result of my training with Lupa but I was extremely wrong as I barely escaped that fight with my life. In the end, I was able to killed the monster at the last minute by summoning a lightning bolt. I got the horn of the manticore as a spoil of war as it was there after he disappeared. After the fight, I was extremely tired and injured but I managed to make it to the gates of Camp Jupiter before I passed out.

When I woke up, I was in the camp's infirmary. I looked around for someone but no one was around. I got up out of bed and decided to explore. When I opened the door, two guards were waiting for me. They were dressed in all gold armor from head to toe. The two guards were males and I still do not know their names to this day but they escorted me to the Senate Hall. In the senate Hall, I met the two current Praetors. The 1st Praetor's name was George. And he was a son of Mars. George was about 6'5 and he had an extremely built body. His eyes were as red as a flame and they seemed to instill fear. He had black hair and an angular face. The 2nd Praetor's name was Amanda and she was a daughter of Venus. She was one of the prettiest girls that I have ever met in my life. She had long, blond hair and dazzling blue eyes. She had a slim, tall, athletic body and an aura of seriousness. I told the Praetors my story and gave them the letters of recommendations that Lupa had presented me with. They praised me for being a son of Jupiter and told me that I would bring honor to the Twelfth Legion. They immediately placed me into the 1st cohort as they said I deserve to be in it. Amanda told me that she and George were in the first too and that it is the most honorable cohort. I was happy that I was placed in the 1st cohort but I did not like that I was placed in it solely based on my lineage. I knew at that point that I was going to prove to everyone that I was more than just a son of Jupiter.

George summoned the centurion of the of the 1st cohort and he came very quickly. The centurion of the first cohort was a stocky boy with dark black hair and red eyes like George. His name was Darrel and he is also a son of Mars. The praetors placed me in his care and sent us away. Me and Darrel immediately bonded and he became my personal trainer. He told me that he wanted to be my mentor because he knew that I would take over the camp eventually. He told me that it was my destiny and that he wanted the honor helping me to do so. Darrel introduced to the cohort later that evening and they all seemed pretty cool. I felt like I was at home when I was around them. I eventually met my now best friend, Frank Zhang. Frank is a son of Mars and a member of the 1st cohort. He was about my height and he was 12 years old just like me. He had dark black hair and red eyes. For the next two months, he was my training partner and we increasingly became closer. As two months passed, I got a dream from Juno that my life was about to change. She told me to prepare myself and I obeyed by training harder. I often wondered what was coming. I often wondered what could be so important that Juno contacted me. Whatever it is, I promise you that it will not prevent me from leading Romans into the next dynasty.

 **Lupa**

When Percy left, I was left alone with my thoughts. I was thinking about Percy and Jason. Both demigods are extremely strong and they even have the potential to surpass Romulus and Remus. My only concern is that they are too much like their fathers. Jason seeks power and prestige whilst Percy seeks honor and glory. Jason will be starting at the top of the food chain while Percy will be starting at the bottom. Both demigods have something to prove. Both demigods have the motivation and determination to achieve their goals. Both demigods want to be the best. Stories like this only have two endings. Either they will unite and lead Rome to greatness or they will clash and lead Rome to its destruction. For Jupiter's sake, I hope they don't possess the stubbornness of their parents but only time will tell.

 **Hey guys:**

 **For those who have read my previous stories. My apologies for not finishing them but I have simply lost motivation for them. I hope you like this story though and thank you for your support.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: All rights to Rick Riordan. I do not claim possession of his property. I am not going to repeat this every chapter so this disclaimer applies to this entire fan-fiction.**

 **Leo**

I honestly hate guard duty. Nothing interesting ever happens. All I do is just stand in one place for countless hours. Some people have the great fortune of at least finding a recruit on duty but not me. Plus, I always get assigned the worst partners. My current partner is John and he is a son of Minerva. Don't get me wrong, the guy is a genius but just imagined having to listen to him talk about science for hours. Yeah, now you feel my pain. I mean he is a pretty…. I was brought out of my train of thought by John's scream.

"Leo look", John shouted as he pointed towards the entrance. I followed his finger and I blinked twice as I could not believe what I was seeing. There was a boy walking towards us and I am pretty sure he was a demigod because his attire was partly destroyed. I mean his shirt was filled with claw holes and his pants were no better either. Plus, he was bleeding profusely from the numerous cuts that he had. I caught up to John as he jogged towards the stranger. When we got close enough to him, two swords sprang to life in his hands. He took a battle stance and bellowed, "Leave me alone or perish".

John put up both hands in the air and I followed his example. "Relax, we come in peace. We are the guards for the gates of Camp Jupiter", I said seriously. I do not know why but something about this guy gave me the feeling that he is not someone who you want to mess with.

"Did you say Camp Jupiter?" the mystery man asked. We nodded our heads in response and the swords disappeared The guy started to jump up and down screaming that he made it. As I saw the show he was putting on, I instantly knew that we would get along perfectly. It was at this point that I finally got a good chance to look at mystery guy. He was about my height and he had brown, unkempt hair. He had sea green guys and was very built for his age. He looked like a soldier already and he has not even been to camp yet.

He finally calmed down and regained his composure.

"My apologies but it's been a long two weeks if you know what I mean", mystery guy said with a chuckle.

"No I don't actually, it took me a couple of days to reach Camp Jupiter when I left the Wolf House", John said.

"Yeah same here and I did not look like a zombie when I arrived either", I added. John glared at me for my remarks but mystery guy laughed.

"Good one uhhhh, wait what are your names?" mystery guy asked.

"My name is John and I am a son of Minerva", John said softly.

"That's cool John. You must be very smart. What about you funny guy?" he asked as he pointed at me.

"Oh me? My name is Leo Valdez and I am a son of Vulcan", I said proudly.

"That's pretty cool as well. You must be pretty handy with your hands. Okay so what's next? I want to get something to eat and have a shower. Please tell that you guys have those here", the mystery guy pleaded.

"Well now we escort you to the senate hall to meet our Praetors and yes we have showers and food. What's your name though?" I asked.

"My name is Perseus Jackson and I am the son of Neptune", Perseus said confidently. I did a double take at his announcement and I noticed that John did too. It was not often that children of the big three came to camp especially those of Neptune. Romans do not give Neptune much respect and that lack of respect was inherited by his children. Hence, the reason why it is unusual for Neptune's children to come to camp. I feel sorry for the poor kid. He will be treated worse than Minerva's kids and the sad part is that he seems pretty cool. Nevertheless, I escorted Perseus to the senate hall while John stayed to guard the gate. I gave him a half of my sandwich that I was saving for lunch as we left the gates for the senate hall. Perseus thank me and started to devour the sandwich

We were on our way to the senate hall when Perseus asked, "So what is camp like?"

I debated internally whether I should be honest or just lie to him. He seemed like someone I could be friends with in the future so I decided against lying. "Camp is great if you are in the 1st cohort, good if you are in the 2nd, 3rd or 4th cohort and horrible if you are in the 5th cohort", I responded. Perseus seemed a bit taken back from my response but it was the truth.

"Why is it great in the 1st and horrible in the 5th?" Percy asked curiously.

I took a deep breath before saying that, " The 1st cohort are where all the prized jewels of the legion are kept. Only the best of the best are presumably allowed in the 1st cohort. One has to be promoted into the 1st cohort normally while individuals are just placed in the other cohorts based on the need for soldiers. The only exceptions as it relates to placement in the first is if you are the child of a major Roman god such as Mars or Jupiter as they do not want to disrespect them by placing their children in a lower cohort. Another exception is if you are the child of a lesser Roman god such as Minerva or Neptune then you will most likely be placed in the fifth which is basically where they keep the spoiled eggs of the bunch. Well that is how they treat us at least. They treat us as lesser beings than them and they make us feel like we do not belong here. That is why the 1st is great and the 5th is horrible. The system I just described to you is known as the cohort hierarchy system. Does my answer satisfy you?" I asked.

"Yes", Perseus replied sadly. The poor lad must be disappointed with the news that I just shared with him.

"Don't look so down. There is a chance that you might get placed in one of the higher cohorts and worst comes to worst then you will have me", I said with a smile.

Perseus returned my smile and said, "Thank you Leo. I really appreciate it".

"No problem", I replied as we entered the senate hall.

 **Percy**

'The senate hall was huge and magnificent', I thought when I walked into the senate hall. There were statues lining the walls and the entire room was mostly white. The walls were white while everything else such as the statues were gold. There were two golden chairs in the front of the senate hall and there were rows of benches directly in front of them. In the two golden chairs sat a boy and a girl who I assumed were the leaders of the camp. Leo walked forward and gave the leaders a slight bow. I followed his example afterwards.

"Greetings Sir George and Lady Amanda. I have brought before you a new recruit that I found while I was on guard duty", Leo said respectfully.

"Well done soldier, you may return to your duty now", the guy said. Leo gave them a slight bow and then he whispered 'good luck 'to me. Afterwards, Leo left the senate hall.

"Do you have your letters of recommendation?" the girl asked.

"Yes, I do", I replied. I reached into my back pocket and gave them to the Praetors. They took a second to inspect them and then they returned their attention to me.

"Welcome to Camp Jupiter. My name is George Ford and I am the 1st Praetor of the Twelfth Legion. I am also a son of Mars", George said.

"My name is Amanda Gordon. I am the 2nd Praetor and I am also a daughter of Venus", Amanda added. No surprise there, she was easily one of the most beautiful girls that I have ever laid my eyes on. "What is your name and lineage if you know?" she asked.

"My name is Perseus Jackson and I am the demigod son of Neptune", I announced proudly. To say that the praetors were shocked would be an understatement but they quickly recovered their composure.

"Well I guess that saves us the trouble of assigning you a cohort. You will be in the fifth as it is your destiny", George said smugly. I was slightly angry that he placed me in the fifth cohort but not entirely surprised as I was told that this would happen.

"Wait what happened on your journey here?" Amanda asked as she looked at my destroyed attire.

"I fought a couple monsters on the way here. They were troublesome but I managed", I replied. George was once again shocked and Amanda seemed curious.

"How much is a couple?" she asked.

"About ten hellhounds", I answered.

"You faced ten hellhounds and survived?" George asked incredulously. I inwardly fumed with anger at the amount of disrespect that was being directed at me because of my heritage but I remained calmed on the outside. The only troubling thing was that I think that Amanda was reading me and she knew that I was barely containing myself.

"I believe him. You read what Lupa said in his recommendation letters", Amanda said in my defense.

"Yeah but it's still hard to believe. Jason is a son of Jupiter and he barely escaped the manticore much less ten hellhounds", George replied. Wait did he just say son of Jupiter? I am pretty sure he just said that. Well that means I will have a cousin at camp. I hope that he is as cool as my other cousins were back when my life was normal.

"Well Jason did not have Percy's letter of recommendation now did he", Amanda replied tauntingly.

"It does not matter. He will be assigned to the fifth cohort regardless. Assigning him to anything higher would cause an uproar within the camp. Centurions would think that we are dishonoring their cohort by assigning them a son of Neptune", George retorted.

"You have a point there. I will be the one to escort him to the fifth cohort though. His letters of recommendation grant him at least some honor", Amanda replied. She got up after her statement without waiting for George's reply and instructed me to follow her.

We left the senate hall and she said that she would give me a tour of New Rome before she introduced me to my cohort. As she gave me a tour, I could not help but admired the city. It was truly a sight to behold. The streets were made of marble and the houses looked like mini mansions. On the tour, we passed the green fields, the training arenas, the mess hall and now we were finally approaching the barracks which were where the cohorts are located.

"I would like to apologize for George's disrespect earlier. He holds the cohort hierarchy system very dear to his heart", Amanda said apoloetically.

"It's okay, he is 1st praetor after all. Thank you for defending me though", I replied. She gave me a smile in response and it felt like my heart melted.

"I like you Perseus. I hope I live long enough to see you become something great in this camp. Many people at this camp will not believe in you because of your father but I will always believe in you", Amanda said sincerely.

"Thank you Lady Amanda. That means a lot coming from you", I replied honestly. She gave me another smile and I realized that we were entering a barrack. We entered the barrack and everyone stopped what they were doing. They gave Amanda a slight bow and stared at me pitifully.

A tall boy with blond hair and about 6'0 feet tall stepped forward. He looked the most regal so I assumed he was the centurion. "Lady Amanda, to what do I owe the honor of you gracing my noble cohort", the guy said politely.

Amanda smiled before saying that, "Good evening Chris, I bring with me another recruit for the 5th. I was just escorting him here as a result of his letters of recommendation. I am sure that he will be a fine addition to your cohort". She looked at me one more time before leaving. After she left, everyone was looking at me as if I was an alien. Finally, the centurion came to his senses and greeted me.

"Welcome to the 5th cohort. I am Chris Polo and I am your centurion. I am also a son of Bacchus", Chris said. When he was finished introducing himself, he looked at me expectantly.

"Oh my name is Perseus Jackson and I am the son of Neptune", I announced. Gasps were heard around the room and everyone started to whisper to each other.

"Well it's nice to meet you Percy, if you need any help then you may find me but good luck otherwise. I will see you in two hours for training and feel free to take any bed without a name tag", Chris said before he went away.

I ignored the continuous whispers of my fellow legionnaires as I searched for the showers. I eventually found them and took one of the best showers of my entire existence. It was so good that I was in there for 30 minutes. After I took a shower, I found an empty bed and decided that it would be in my best interest to take a nap before training so I did.

 **Jason**

 ** _The Arena_**

"Are you ready for the next round?" Darrel asked.

"No I need just a little more time to rest", I replied.

"Okay you have five minutes and then we are going back to dueling", Darrel commanded. I plopped down on the ground because I was extremely tired. I am tired because I have been dueling Darrel for the last 3 hours and it was starting to weaken me. Even though we have been training like this for the past two months, I am still just ten years old.

"Jason!", Frank shouted as he came inside the arena.

"Over here", I answered. He came towards me and it looked like he ran all the way here since he was out of breath. "Wassup bro?" I asked.

"Did you hear the rumors?" Frank asked.

"What rumors?" I asked curiously.

"That a son of Neptune came to camp and he killed 10 hellhounds on his journey to Camp Jupiter", Frank said. I was flabbergasted at his statement to be honest. I barely killed the manticore and this new boy supposedly killed 10 hellhounds. He could the big change that Juno was talking but that seems farfetched in a way.

"The boy was probably lying. He is a son of Neptune after all and they are not known for their battle prowess", Darrel said mockingly. I thought about Darrel's words and they made sense. It was not his destiny to become great like me, his destiny was probably to become a fisherman or something.

"You're right Darrel, he probably did lie. What cohort was he placed in Frank?" I asked.

"He was placed in the 5th cohort", Frank replied. Darrel doubled over with laughter but Frank looked uneasy. "He looks like a fighter though and Amanda even escorted to his cohort. That must mean something", Frank added.

"Amanda is known for being pitiful of weak soldiers though. She probably just did for political reasons", Darrel replied. "Relax Frank, you are a member of the great 1st cohort; you have no reason to worry about someone of the dishonorable 5th cohort", Darrel added.

He was right. I am a member of the 1st cohort and my biggest concern right now is preparing for the gladiator tournament. "Darrel's right Frank plus we need to continue preparing for the tournament. We need to be the two aces of the 1st cohort in order to participate in the tournament", I said.

"You're right, we do need to prepare", Frank said as he withdrew his two hunting knifes. I withdrew my gladius and shield. We stared each other in the eye and then we attacked. I tried to jab at his chest but he parried it easily with his hunting knife and he threw a jab at me with his other knife. Luckily, I was able to stop it with my shield or it would have ended badly.

"That's what I'm talking about", bellowed Darrel. Me and Frank smirked at each other before we charged again.

 **Narrator**

 ** _5_** ** _th_** ** _Cohort Barracks_**

"Perseus", Leo said as he woke up Perseus. "It's time for training, it's time for you to get up", Leo added. Perseus slowly rose out of bed and scratched the back of his head.

"Thanks Leo. I probably would have been late without you", Perseus said.

"No problem bro but let's get going before we are late", Leo said. Percy agreed with him and both of them jogged to the arena.

 ** _The Arena_**

The arena was similar to that of a basketball court except it was outside and there was sand in the middle instead of a court. There were spectator stands for an audience to watch and a special section where the Senators and Centurions watched the fight. The spectator stands had black seats and gold seats alternatively while the special section had white seats. The Praetors had a booth box where they could watch and control the fight from.

Perseus took in the arena when he walked in with Leo. He thought it was beautiful and he planned on spending a lot of time in there. He and Leo continued towards the fifth cohort. Both boys realized that everyone was waiting for them. They quickly joined the ranks and then Chis began to address the cohort.

"The first rounds of the gladiator tournament are quickly approaching. Two gladiators from each cohort are chosen during the first rounds. The gladiators of each cohort will be chosen in two weeks. Individuals who are interested please remain here. Everyone else may find a sparring partner and begin training", Chris announced.

Almost everyone disappeared. It was like no one wanted the chance to put their skills on display and Perseus could see the reason why when some people started to practice. Luckily, Leo had stayed with him. When he looked around, Leo was actually the only one who stayed with him. Everyone else left to spar.

"Well it's an improvement from last year at least", Chris said desperately.

"How can two people be an improvement? That is a disgrace", Perseus replied.

"Don't be so harsh on them Perseus. They just don't want to be used as punching bags for the other cohorts", Chris replied.

"There is no honor in cowardice. They are disgracing the 5th cohort", Perseus said indignantly.

"I agree with Perseus, there is not any honor in cowardice", Leo added.

"I also agree with Perseus but the 5th cohort is used to being regarded as a disgrace. It has been like this since a centurion of the fifth lost the eagle standard of the Twelfth Legion. The 5th cohort was once a very prestigious cohort but it became a disgrace after that loss", Chris said sadly.

"The past is the past and there is nothing that can be done to change it. But the future has not happened yet and we possess the power to change it. The dishonorable era of the 5th cohort will come to an end at the end of this gladiator tornament. I shall bring honor to the 5th and my father. I shall make the other cohorts fear the son of Neptune of the 5th cohort if it is the last thing I do", Perseus announced loudly.

Perseus spoke in such a loud voice that everyone in the arena heard him. Individuals stopped in the middle of their spars to listen to him. Nobody said anything but they all heard him. Some legionnaires brushed him aside as just a delusional ten-year-old but a decent amount actually believed in him. One of those individuals was Chris. Perseus inspired the centurion of the 5th with his mini speech. Chris had lost hope in the redemption of the 5th until Perseus' speech. Perseus was a beacon of hope for the 5th cohort and Chris would do the best to help him achieve his goals.

"At first I was just interested in this tournament because it sounded fun but I will join you Perseus. I will help you to bring honor to the fifth", Leo said. Him and Percy gave each other a high five whilst Chris chuckled at the sight before him.

"Well let's get started then. We have two weeks to turn you guys into the best gladiators that this camp has ever seen", Chris said. Perseus and Leo smiled at him. Chris returned the smile and then he attacked the two boys.

 ** _Time skip: Two weeks_**

 _Summary:_ Perseus, Leo, Jason and Frank have been training ferociously for the past two weeks. Perseus and Leo were trained personally by Chris while Jason and Frank were trained personally by Darrel. Within two weeks, Perseus and Leo had caught up to Chris as it relates to battle prowess. This was partly due to the fact that Chris had never really trained intensely prior to teaching Perseus and Leo. He was out of shape while Perseus and Leo were bursting with energy. His only advantage was his experience but Perseus and Leo were quick learners so they caught up. Perseus and Leo also trained by themselves. They would stay up late at night to spar and they would go to the library early in the morning to research new fighting styles. They would also practice with their powers even though they still barely had control over them. Jason and Frank on the other hand were not even close to challenging Darrel. Unlike Chris, Darrel was a season fighter with intense training and experience. Jason and Frank had grown tremendously in strength despite their failure to challenge Darrel. Both boys were confident that either one of them would win the right to the representatives of the 1st cohort and it was finally time for them to fight for that right.

 ** _Present Day…._**

The arena was packed. Literally, every single seat in the arena was occupied by someone. The atmosphere and environment reflected that of the Super Bowl. Individuals were extremely excited and ready for the show to begin. The Senators and Centurions were the rowdiest of them all. They were placing bets on soldiers and against others. It was truly a sight to behold but it was also normally. The arena fell into a silence as they participants walked into the middle of the arena.

"Greetings Legionnaires, Centurions and honorable Senators", Amanda announced. "Welcome to the first round of the Twelfth Legion's annual gladiator tournament", she added. The crowd gave a big round of applause at the end of her remarks.

When they finally quieted down, George spoke. "As most of you know, this round of the tournament is solely dedicated to choosing the representatives of each cohort. Each cohort shall have a battle royal and the last two standing will be the chosen representatives", George said.

"The only rules of this tournament is that thou shall not kill. Anyone that kills someone will be banished regardless of which cohort he/she hails from", Amanda announced. She looked directly at the 1st cohort as she finished her statement.

"Let the tournament begin!", George announced and the crowd cheered in response. "The 5th cohort shall be the first to go and they will be fighting monsters to prove that they are worth since there was only two volunteers", George added. The cheering immediately stopped at the mention of the 5th cohort. The previous cheers were transformed in an overwhelming melody of boos and jeers.

Everyone except Perseus and Leo left the center of the arena when it was announced that the fifth would go first. Perseus and Leo glanced at each other before they took out their weapons.

"Let's do this Leo" Perseus said and Leo nodded in agreement.

 **Review Replies:**

ToLazyForAccount: I am glad you like the main idea. I like it too especially since I plan to make it significantly different than any other Roman story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

Woman613: Thank you for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter as well. P.S - I did hurry up and write the next chapter already ;)

Guest: It's not a hoax. I lost motivation for my previous stories but I was bursting with ideas for a Roman story so I made one. I hope this story compensates for the conclusion of the other two. Thank you for reading.

Iloveyou: I am glad you think my previous chapter was amazing. I hope you think this one is as well. Also, I have not considered any pairings yet as my characters will not be getting romantically involved any time soon. But I will take your suggestion into consideration when the time comes.

 **I hope you guys liked this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing. Please don't forget to review! It's very nice to see that someone took their time to review after I spent hours writing a chapter.**

 **See you guys soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

 **Narrator**

The boys stood back to back as they waited for their opponents to enter the arena. The entire arena was in silence as well because they were waiting to see who would dismantle the pathetic warriors of the 5th cohort. Eventually, the gates were heard opening and fifty skeleton warriors erupted with battle cries. The boys yelled a battle cry of their own and charged.

The Romans in the audience watched in disbelief as the boys completely dominated their enemies. They kept on rubbing their eyes because they felt that they were deceiving them but they saw the same spectacle after each rub. They had expected the participants from the fifth to take a beating but they were the ones that were giving it instead. The entire audience was in silence as they soaked in the show before them. Not even the 5th cohort could believe their eyes and the boys fighting were one of their own. None but Chris and Amanda had a smile on their face as they were the only ones who believed in the boys' potential.

On the other hand, Perseus and Leo were having the time of their lives. Percy felt invigorated as he slashed his way through the crowd of skeletons. They did not put up much of a fight. It actually felt like he was just cutting down sugar canes. Every now and then, a skeleton would try to pierce him with their swords but each time he would just parry the skeleton's sword with riptide and kill it with his other sword. The same scenario could be said of Leo. He was taking out a skeleton with every jab of his sword and he was blocking their attacks every time he raised his shield. The battle had ended within a couple of minutes and the crowd had yet to get over their surprise. The first individuals to get over their shock were the legionnaires of the 5th cohort and they erupted in cheers. They were soon followed by the 4th cohort while the 2nd, 3rd and 1st kept silence. The 4th and 5th were soon quieted by Amanda as George was still in shock.

"Does anyone object to the appointment of Leo Valdez and Perseus Jackson as the representatives of the 5th cohort? Does anyone object to their worthiness to participate in the tournament?" Amanda asked boldly. The crowd roared in response to her question. Not one person in that arena could argue that the boys did not deserve to be in the tournament; not even the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd cohort could object.

"I agree with you all. The boys are now the official representatives of the 5th cohort in the 950th Gladiator tournament", Amanda announced. The crowd erupted into cheers once again and the boys slightly bowed before leaving the arena.

 **Frank**

'I knew it", I thought to myself when the boys left the arena. The son of Neptune was strong and his friend was as well. He had an unorthodox style of fighting but it seemed to be working for him. He looked very skilled when he was wielding his dual blades. I also noticed that his blades were different that normal ones. The were longer and seemed to be made for slashing instead of jabbing. If I was not knowledgeable about fighting styles I would have been quick to say that they were swords of a Greek design but I know that they must have been made to be wielded dually.

"I told you that the rumors were true", I whispered to Jason.

"It doesn't matter. We will show everyone that we are stronger than them when it's our turn and then we will annihilate them in the actual gladiator tournament", Jason said confidently.

"You need to learn to stop being so overconfident Jason. It will lead to your defeat one day", I replied.

"I am not being overconfident but I know my destiny. You should know yours as well", Jason replied.

"I do know my heritage but at least I am humble enough to not say it every time someone threatens my ascension to greatness", I replied honestly. Jason glared at me but I matched his glare equally.

"A son of Neptune does not pose a threat to my ascension", Jason replied angrily.

"If he didn't pose a threat to you then you wouldn't be getting so worked up", I replied smugly and crossed my arms.

"Whose side are you on anyways? It sounds like you are on his", Jason retorted. The fact that Jason questioned my loyalty really ticked me off. Scratch that, I was not ticked off; I was extremely angry.

"You are my friend Jason and we seek greatness together but it annoys me when you talk about greatness as if you are the only one that can attain it. You need to wake up because Romulus and Remus were not sons of Jupiter. They were sons of Mars. Thus, the greatness you seek is not your destiny, it's mine if you want to judge solely based on lineage", I responded angrily.

Jason looked shocked that I said what I said but I was too angry to care. "How dare you say that to me?", Jason said as his body crackled with electricity. I placed my hand on my hunting knifes as I felt like a fight was coming.

"Calm down guys, save the fighting for when you get in the arena", someone said as they stood between us. I huffed indignantly and stormed off.

 **Jason**

Frank really had some nerve. How dare he tell me that it is not my destiny to become like Romulus or Remus? He has no right. I do not care he is the son of Mars; I am the son of the king of gods. If the sons of a war god can start the first era of the Roman Dynasty, then a son of the king of gods can start another era. It does not matter though, I will show everyone that I am destined for greatness and that no one can stop me from attaining it. Especially that son of Neptune, he shall never surpass me no matter how hard he tries. If he trains five times a week, then I will train ten times a week. I refused to be dishonor by allowing the son of a lowly god such as Neptune to surpass me.

I should really apologize to Frank though. I was angered by the thought of the son of Neptune being stronger than me and I took out my anger on Frank. He did not deserve to bear the brunt of my anger and I do not blame him for reacting so angrily. Frank has been a great friend since I came to Camp Jupiter. He has been my sparring partner and my companion throughout my time here. He has been loyal to me as I have been loyal to him. Frank did not deserve my rage and I will be sure to apologize to him after our fight.

With that being said, I returned my attention to the arena. I caught the end of the 3rd cohort's battle royal. The winners were Ben and Samantha. Ben was a son of Mercury and Samantha was a daughter of Ceres. Their wins did not come as a surprise as they have been the representatives of the 3rd cohort for the past two years. I guess it was just not their destiny to win the gladiator tournament or they would have won it already. Nevertheless, I look forward to testing my skills against one of them during the fight. Their defeat will probably be one of my most honorable victories in the entire tournament.

I was brought out of my thoughts by the entrance of the participants for the 2nd cohort. I pretty much knew everyone that was in the that cohort. They and the 1st cohort were the top cohorts so we pretty much did everything together. They were like our siblings. We practiced with them numerous times so I already had my assumptions of who would win the battle royal. My assumptions were Reyna Ramirez – Arellano and Hazel Levesque. Reyna is a daughter of Bellona and she is my age. She is also deadly with her spear and shield like she is one of the best at the camp with those two particular weapons. She was also gorgeous, strong, brilliant and courageous. Yeah I have a crush on her but that does not matter currently. My only focus is greatness. My other favorite to win is Hazel and she is a daughter of Pluto. She is also my age. She fights with a spathe which is a broad blade normally used for horse fighting and a shield. She was also very skillful with her choice of weapons. Her and Reyna were without a doubt the strongest soldiers in the 2nd cohort if you subtracted the past gladiator champions and their centurion. They were also close friends, kind of like me and Frank. The funny thing is that Frank has a crush on Hazel just as I have on Reyna.

The Praetors gave the command for the battle royal to begin and chaos literally exploded on the battlefield within seconds. Everyone was fighting in dyads as there was an even number of individuals. I focused on Reyna and began to watch her. She wielded her spear gracefully and with extreme accuracy. Her fighting style was very traditional but it was effective. She would block the attacks of her opponents if they were worthy and she would knock them out with the bottom of her spear. She fought like an animal as she easily knocked out everyone that stood in her path. One by one her opponents fell; she was truly a sight to behold.

I shifted my attention to Hazel and I noticed that she was doing just as good as Reyna. She wielded her spathe skillfully and gracefully. Her biggest advantage was her speed though. Hazel was very petite which made her very agile and fast. Her speed and agility was the reason why she was so deadly with her spathe as it was very light and easy to move. Hazel fought like a demon in the same way that Reyna did. They bought fought like they had something to prove and it was prominent in their mannerisms. Eventually, Reyna and Hazel wiped out their opponents and were the only ones left standing. They had one but it was not as easy of a fight as they had made it looked. They were filled with bruises and scars when the battle was over. The crowd roared in approval of the show they had just witnessed and the girls waved to them.

"Jason let's go, it's our time to shine", someone from my cohort said. It was at this point that I realized that everyone was getting ready to fight so I got ready too. I looked for Frank and he glared at me when I finally made eye contact with him. I guess he's still mad at me but I cannot worry about that now. It's time to show everyone that I am more than just a son of Jupiter.

 **Narrator**

The participants of the 1st cohort marched in the arena and the entire area fell into a deep silence. One could easily feel the anxiety of the audience as this was the fight everyone was waiting for. Sure the other fights were good but the 1st cohort had a tradition of being the most vicious battle royal. Most people assumed that it was because most of the best fighters were in the 1st cohort but that did not matter right now. It was time for the grand finale.

All of the participants took their battle stances and awaited the command to begin. Jason glanced at Frank to see if they were still in this together. Frank was still angry that Jason questioned his honor but he shook his head in agreement when Jason glanced at him. Even though he was angry with Jason, he knew better than to let his emotions determine his battle strategies.

"Begin!", George yelled. At the sound of the command, Frank brought out his bow and started to fire rapid shots before most people could comprehend what was happening. Frank had a brilliant shot and took about 20 people out with his tranquilizer arrows. The crowd cheered in response at this but Frank did not get much time to admire his work because there were at least 30 people left without counting Jason. Frank placed his bow on his back and withdrew his two hunting knifes. Then he plunged into the heat of battle.

Jason felt great as he wielded his gladius and shield. This battle royal felt like a walk in the park for Jason compared to the spars that he had with Darrel. Their movements were slower and sloppier. Jason was getting bored as he slashed down the soldiers in his path. He glanced over to Frank and saw that he was doing well too. But in Jason's moment of distraction, an arrow embedded itself into his shield arm. Jason cursed to himself and his shield dropped. He attempted to fight solely with his sword as he was able to knock out two more soldiers. However, the soldiers of the 1st cohort were smart and ruthless. They noticed that that the son of Jupiter was struggling so a couple of them attacked him at once. They did this because they knew that it was the best chance to eliminate him from the tournament. They all knew that he was Darrel's protégé and the strongest one on the battlefield so the best was to take him out was collectively.

The boys all attacked Jason and he was struggling to stay standing. They were slowly but surely overpowering Jason and he had the bruises to show it. Frank saw this and wanted to help his friend but a couple soldiers were attacking him at once as well. 'Take flight', a voice whispered to Jason as he was being overpowered. Jason had never attempted to fly before and he did not know how it would turn out but he did not have another chance of survival. Jason closed his eyes and focused on the air. He felt like nothing was happening but the crowd's reaction proved otherwise.

When Jason opened his eyes, he realized that he was not on the ground. Not only was Jason flying, but he was also not out of the tournament. Jason did not know how long he could stay up there but he did know that it couldn't be long. He knew this because he could feel his energy diminishing rapidly. Jason decided that he should get his shield quickly before his time ran out so he quickly searched for it. He found it within seconds and flung himself towards it.

He flung himself at the shield so hard that his landing was not very comfortable. He picked up the shield and took out the arrow that was embedded in his arm. He then glared at his attackers before he attacked again. Although Jason was tired and every movement of his shield arm was excruciatingly painful, he still managed to fight his opponents. This was a true sign of strength as he was outnumbered 7 to 1 and he was still winning. Eventually, Jason defeated his opponents and turned around to see Frank smirking.

"Took you long enough", Frank commented. Jason smiled at his friend and then he turned around to wave at the cheering crowd. As he was waving at the crowd, he saw Reyna talking to Perseus on the sideline. It wouldn't have been so bad if Reyna was not laughing. This greatly infuriated Jason for obvious reasons.

"I am going to embarrass that pathetic son of the sea god", Jason said to no one in particular. "How dare he flirt with someone who I have my eyes on and who is also way out of his league", Jason added.

 **Percy**

'That Jason kid is really something', I thought after the fight ended. I could have sworn that he was a goner when the other participants surrounded him but he managed escaped their encirclement. The most surprising thing of all was that he escaped by flying. I mean I know he is a son of Jupiter but I didn't expect flying to be one of his powers. I would say that he is not in control of his powers though as he looked surprised to be flying to begin with. However, one thing that he was definitely in control of were his weapons. He wielded them skillfully and one could easily tell that he has been practicing for a while with them. They must also be a godly gift because they do not seem like ordinary weapons. My fight with him should be interesting to say the least. The only thing I know is that I will be the victor regardless of how strong he is. I made my cohort a promise and I intend to keep it. I was brought out of my thoughts when I noticed that one of the victors from the 2nd cohort was approaching me. She was still walking even though her body was covered with bruises and scars.

"Good job out there. You handle your blades well", Reyna said with a smile.

"Thank you. You handle your weapons skillfully as well", I replied with a smile.

"Thank you. I just came over here to applaud you for your display of strength earlier. Especially since I know that you and your friend won't make it pass the first matches in the tournament", Reyna said sincerely.

"Let me guess why you said that; is it because of my cohort or my dad?" I asked with a chuckle. Reyna seemed deeply confused by my chuckle. I guess that she expected me to get angry or something.

"Both actually", she replied with a chuckle as well.

"Well I guess we will find out if your assumptions are right in one week. Until then, I advise you to train hard because you will need it if you are to meet me on the battlefield", I said viciously before I stormed off.

'She will pay for her disrespect', I thought to myself. I tried to push Reyna to the back of my mind and I began to search for Leo. It did not take long for me to find him as he was with Chris.

"Good job out there today Perseus", Chris said. He patted me on the shoulder and added, "You have already started to make good on your promise. That was the first time that I have ever experienced another cohort cheer for the 5th since I have been to Camp Jupiter".

"And it won't be the last time either right Perseus?" Leo asked confidently.

"Yeah you got that right", I said happily.

"Well we need to get you two boys ready then. We only have a week", Chris said.

"That's all the time we need", Leo said. I nodded in agreement and the three of us began to walk to our barrack.

 **Narrator**

 ** _Time skip: One week…_**

 _Summary:_ Life for Perseus and Leo greatly improved since the first round of the gladiator tournament. They were treated with respect in the 5th cohort and they were acknowledged by the 4th. Everyone in both cohorts wanted to be their friends and they also praised them. They two boys were also credited with bridging the structural gap between the 5th and 4th cohorts. Both groups were getting closer since the fights. They realized that they had more in common than they thought. Both cohorts were at the bottom of the hierarchy and both were treated as inferior by the other cohorts. Although the 4th was not treated as badly as the 5th, they were also treated pretty badly. They were getting so close that they even started practicing together and their centurions were becoming good friends.

Perseus and Leo were not caught up in the hype though. They saw the talent of the competition and they were training harder than they were before the first round. They sparred at least three times a day and pointed out the weaknesses of each other. They also helped each other harness their powers as they clashed with their powers often times. They were determined to use every advantage they could get to fulfill their promise to their cohort. When Perseus and Leo were not sparring, they were doing cardio workouts, eating protein, working outin the weight room and sleeping. Everyone around them noticed their work ethnic and it inspired them. The other members of the 5th cohort started to pick up the slack. They started to imitate Perseus and Leo. A revolution was brewing in the 5th and the two boys were the leaders. On the last two days before the tournament, Perseus and Leo rested so that they could recuperate for the it.

Perseus and Leo were not the only ones that had increased the intensity of their workouts. Jason and Leo had also increased the intensity. Both were determined to make their parents proud and defend the honor of the 1st cohort. Both were also determined not to let Perseus and Leo beat them in a battle. They refused to be defeated by the upstarts of the 5th cohort. They were further inspired by the 1st. They were inspired because their group was depending on them to not only defend their honor but to also defend the status hierarchy system. The defense of the hierarchy system was also riding on the back of the 2nd cohort. The defeat of either cohort by the 5th would lead to individuals questioning if they were actually the two best cohorts. Overall, the participants from the 5th, 2nd and 1st trained extremely hard over the past week. They each trained in this manner because each dyad had something bigger than themselves riding on their victories.

 ** _Present Day…_**

They day of the tournament has finally arrived and the tension in the air was as thick as the chimera's skin. Everyone had been waiting for this day for different reasons. Some were waiting to see the hierarchy system upheld while some were waiting to see how Perseus and Leo would do. Some were hoping that they would do well while others were hoping that they would do terribly. One can only imagine the overwhelming amount of bets that were placed on this tournament. One could also accurately say the camp was divided. Even the Praetors were divided. Amanda hoped that the boys would prevail as she was tired of the cohort hierarchy system. George on the other hand hoped that the boys would be defeated by Jason and Frank because he held the system close to his heart. The preservation of the system was actually one of the reasons why he wanted to become 1st Praetor to begin with while destruction of the system was one of the reasons why Amanda wanted to be the 2nd Praetor. The stands in the arena were actually over capacitated as citizens of New Rome came out to watch the tournament as well. The arena was so packed that smaller children had to sit in the laps of their parents and loved ones in the laps of their significant other if they were present. Not a single soul wanted to miss the tournament and that was evident in the large attendance. Everyone believed that today was going to be an historic day and no one wanted to miss it.

It was finally time for the tournament to start and the contestants walked out in full battle attire. The contestants walked to the center of the arena and faced the Praetors. George and Amanda stood up at their booth and prepared to address the crowd.

"Legionnaires, Centurions, Senators, Lares and Citizens of New Rome!", George roared and the crowd roared back in response. "Welcome to the 950th Gladiator Tournament of the great city of New Rome", he added.

"This tournament was created as a way in which Romans may show the gods that Rome still produces the greatest fighters in the universe and today is no exception. A new warrior will join the prestigious rank of Gladiator Champions today and I am sure that the gods are watching", Amanda announced. Not only did the crowd respond to Amanda's statement but the gods did as well. Evidence was found in the sudden earthquake, lightning and dancing shadows that graced the arena after Amanda's statement. The crowd went crazy at the approval of the gods and the contestants became nervous as they realized that their parents would be watching. The desire to win for each participant was easily quadrupled at the acquisition of this knowledge.

"There are ten contestants in this tournament; there are two from each cohort. Ten cannot be divided down to two as you all know so this tournament has a special structure. The first round of the tournament shall consist of four fights. The second round shall consist of two fights between the victors of the previous round. The semi – final is where the special aspect lies. The uneven person who did not participate in the previous two rounds will fight each of the two victors from the previous round unless he/she can defeat the first one he/she fights. If this is the case, then the second fight will be the finale. If the uneven person does not win then the two victors will be given a short break before the fight to determine a champion", Amanda announced and the crowd gasped. This was an interesting addition to the tournament.

"It is now time for us to announce this year's contestants. From the 1st cohort, we have Jason Grace and Frank Zhang. Jason is a son of Jupiter and Frank is a son of Mars", George announced.

"From the 2nd cohort we have Reyna Ramirez Arellano and Hazel Levesque. Reyna is a daughter of Bellona and Hazel is a daughter of Pluto", Amanda added.

"From the 3rd cohort, we have Ben Lee and Samantha Lexus. Ben is a son of Mercury and Samantha is a daughter of Ceres. From the 4th cohort, we have Alexis Carr and Robyn McDonald. Alexis is a daughter of Apollo and Robyn is a daughter of Fortuna", George said.

"And last but certainly not least, Perseus Jackson and Leo Valdez from the 5th cohort. Perseus is a son of Neptune and Leo is a son of Vulcan", Amanda announced.

"Now that the introductions, we can inform you all about the matchups. The matchups will be randomly selected from a jar as the tournament progresses. The first will be between Leo Valdez of the 5th and Frank Zhang of the 1st. All matchups will be started by Zeus when he strikes the ground with lightning", George announced. The crowd roared in approval of the first match up. It was one of the battles that they came to see. This was one of the battle that everyone was anticipating and they were delighted that the tournament was starting with it. 'Hopefully, it would end with the other battle so things are kept interesting', everyone hoped. All the other contestants went to the sidelines to watch the first match and the two selected took their battle stances.

"You ready to watch your friend get annihilated?" Jason asked as he walked past Perseus. He expected Perseus to respond to him but Perseus just stared at him before he returned his attention to the battlefield. Perseus knew Jason was trying to aggravate him and he refused to give him that satisfaction. Instead of Percy being aggravated, Jason was aggravated instead.

"Don't worry about Perseus", Reyna said soothingly. "He will get what is coming to him today", she added.

"Hell yeah he will", Jason agreed.

Frank and Leo circled each other as they awaited Zeus' sign to start. "So you think you're hot shit just because you defeated a couple skeletons right Valdez?" Frank asked tauntingly.

"You'll see how hot I can get when the fight starts baby face", Leo replied with an evil smirk. Frank growled at the baby reference and Leo laughed. The two continued to circle each other until the lightning finally struck the ground. Frank equipped his bow and arrows as soon as the lightning struck the ground and fired rapidly at Leo. His speed could be compared to that of a hand gun, he was truly skilled with a bow. There was a cloud of fog surrounding Leo as a result of an arrow filled with fog that Frank shot at Leo to make it harder for him to block the other arrows. He ran around in a circle as he shot arrows at Leo and he stopped when he thought he had caused the young lad enough pain.

Frank thought that Leo was down and he started to laugh at how easy he defeated Leo. The crowd soon followed as they erupted in laughter as well. The fifth and fourth cohorts laughed as well but for a different reason. They were laughing because Frank thought he had defeated Leo so easily. They had seen how hard Leo trained and there was no way in hell that he would fall so easily. Darrel noticed that Chris was laughing and asked, "Are you that pathetic that you are laughing at your own soldier?"

"No I am laughing at Frank because he thought he would win so easily" Chris replied as he pointed at the battlefield. Darrel returned his attention to the battlefield and he couldn't believe his eyes. There was a figure of a man standing firmly as the fog cleared. The crowd soon saw this too and stopped their laughter with the exception of the 4th and 5th cohorts.

Eventually, Frank noticed that the crowd stopped laughing and were pointing at something behind him so he looked. When he turned around, he saw that Leo was still standing tall with a smirk on his face. Frank took out his bow again and start raining arrows at Leo again. He soon discovered the reason why Leo was able to survive the first round of arrows. Each arrow that came close to Leo exploded in flames without Leo even moving. The only thing that Frank noticed that Leo was doing was looking at the arrows before they exploded.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" Frank screamed.

"It's not sorcery, I guess I am just hot shit after all", Leo replied as he opened his palm and a flame came to life. Frank and the entire audience gasped in surprise at this display. Even the gods that were watching from Olympus were shocked. No one except Vulcan knew that his son possessed the ability to control and summon fire. Leo decided that he needed to end this fight quickly so that he can send a firm message and save his energy.

"It's time to end this", Leo announced. His sword became engulfed in fire and he took his shield off his back. Frank realized that his bow would be of no assistance to him so he discarded it. Frank looked at Leo and he acknowledge the fact that he did not stand a good chance of winning. Frank withdrew his hunting blades and waited for Leo to attack. Leo took note of this and he did.

Leo and Frank traded blow for blow as everyone watched in awe. Every swing of Leo's blade was met with one of Frank's knifes and the same could be said for Leo's shield. The two of them fought like this for six minutes. Both boys got a chance to injure each other at some point in the exchange but Frank was worse off than Leo. He was worse off because the heat coming from Leo's sword was draining his energy and he was getting burns as well as deep cuts with Leo's blade. The longer that they fought, the more Frank's attacks became slower and sloppier as a result of this reason. Frank knew that he could not continue much longer like this so he attempted to do a disarming technique that Darrel had taught him and Jason once. He summoned all of his strength and attempted the flick of the wrist which resulted in the disarming technique.

Clang! Was the only sound that was heard throughout the arena as Leo's sword fell from his hand to the ground. Leo was shocked and Frank decided to capitalize on this chance. He attempted to knock out Leo in his moment of weakness but Leo recovered before Frank could complete his attack. Leo countered Frank's attack with an uppercut to his face which was coated with flames and a slam to the head with his shield. This combo effectively sent Frank flying into the nearby wall. Leo was panting heavily but he quickly recovered his sword and prepared for Frank to get up. The only thing was that Frank did not get up for the countdown.

"The winner of the first match is Leo Valdez of the 5th cohort", Amanda announced proudly. The crowd literally went wild after Amanda's announcement. Everyone was on their feet cheering not for Leo but for the great fight that they had just witnessed. The fight was truly spectacular. The people of New Rome have not witnessed a fight of that magnitude in a very long time. Even the lares were in awe and some of them have seen all 950 tournaments.

Leo pointed to the sky and screamed, "That victory was for you father if you are listening to me. I will make people fear your name". Leo immediately collapsed after this statement.

 **Three updates in one week and each of at least 4k words. Do I deserve some reviews/favorites/follows yet?**

 **I have been writing this story solely based on inspiration but I need some motivation from you guys too. Shout to everyone who has followed/Favorited/reviewed so far. This chapter is for yall, I made it a little longer than the last two as well.**

 **Review, Favorite and/or Follow the story if you like it. At least do one of them.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Check previous chapters**

 **Author's note: I just want to sat this chapter was a very challenging one for me to write and it took me a while to come up with the action sciences. I hope you guys like it and Please review! I really appreciate the 7 individuals who reviewed for the last chapter. Also follow my community Awesome PJO Fanfictions**

 **Very important: This story is AU which stands for Alternate Universe. This means that it is very likely that some things will go against the canon's plot and characteristics so when something is off like Leo defeating Frank just remember that. In this story, Leo is Roman and he trained with Perseus so he is a good fighter.**

 **Jason**

I could not believe my eyes when the fog cleared. I could have sworn that Leo was a goner after the first round of arrows. The simple fact that he was smirking when the fog cleared was enough to make my blood boil. In addition to Leo's smirk, Perseus' laughter was aggravating me as well. I glared at the sea spawn and returned my attention to the battle. 'Come on Frank, you need to wipe that smirk off that boy's face", I whispered.

The fight began again and it was surely an extraordinary scene. I watched in awe as Leo and Frank traded blow for blow. I was happy that it seemed like a stalemate because at least Leo was not winning. However, my hopes were crushed when I noticed that Frank's movements were becoming slow and sluggish. After closer observation, I realized that Frank was receiving more damage than Leo. I started to become worried for my friend as the tide of the battle was turning against him. Just when I thought Frank was done for, he surprised everyone by disarming Leo. Everyone was shocked by this development, even Leo himself.

"Finish him", I screamed from the sidelines. I do not know if he heard me but he reacted directly after my statement. He angled his knives for a knockout blow and I knew that this fight would be over in a couple of seconds. However, Leo managed to do the impossible once again as he managed to dodge Frank's attack. Not only was he able to dodge it but he was also able to counter it. His fist engulfed in flames as he delivered a powerful uppercut to Frank's chin. Frank's head flung upwards and Leo followed up his attack with a shield slam to Frank's face. The slam by Leo's shield sent Frank flying into a nearby wall. I wanted Frank to get up but I knew that the chances of getting up after such a combo were slim. I don't even think I could have gotten up after that combo.

"The winner of the first match is Leo Valdez of the 5th cohort", Amanda announced proudly. The crowd literally went wild after Amanda's announcement. Leo pointed his sword at the sky and said something before he collapsed. The medics quickly rushed onto the battlefield to get Leo and Frank.

"I guess Frank's destiny as a result of being a son of Mars was not enough to beat Leo", Perseus said tauntingly. Anger rushed through my veins and I activated my gladius. Without even thinking, I charged at Perseus angrily. Perseus did not even bother to arm himself, he just laughed at me. I guess he knew that I was blinded by my anger so he decided to make a mockery of me instead. I jabbed at him with y gladius multiple times but he just dodged them easily. He was playing with me and I was just getting angrier by the minute. I could feel my body being electrified but I did not care. All I wanted to do was land a hit on the sea spawn. I eventually managed to cut him and I guess Perseus got tired of playing with me because he brought out his sword. He looked extremely pissed off when he glared at me. I smiled evilly and charged again. Our swords clashed and there was an explosion which alerted everyone in the arena to our little fight. The explosion also sent us flying and both of us landed on our butts. I got up to finish Perseus but I was stopped by Darrel. I looked over to Percy and noticed that his centurion was restraining him as well. We made eye contact and glared at each other. The glares were a form of nonverbal communication though, they meant that this fight was not over yet.

 **Narrator**

The explosion by the collision of Perseus and Jason's sword alerted everyone to their scuffle. Their centurions quickly ran over to the explosion to restrain the boys while the crowd was itching for more. This was the fight that they were waiting for and they just got a glimpse of it. If the explosion was a sign of the fight to come, then it would be even better than the matchup between Frank and Leo.

"Please keep those two boys away from each other. Centurions Chris and Darrel, you both are responsible for the actions of your soldiers. Your cohort will be severely punished if those two do not learn to control themselves soon", Amanda announced. The centurions shook their heads in response to Amanda's command and dragged the boys in separate directions.

"The next matchup shall be between Hazel Levesque of the 2nd and Ben Lee of the 3rd", George announced. Hazel and Ben gathered their weapons before they marched onto the field. Once they were on the field, both individuals met in the middle to shake hands. After they shook hands, they took up their battle stances. They circled each other and waited for Zeus' command to begin. Lightning finally struck the ground and it signaled the start of the fight. Ben and Hazel charged at each other. Both individuals traded blow after blow and each blow was parried by the other person. They both depended on their speed so the battle was a stalemate thus far. Hazel caught on to this and began to devise a plan for victory. Hazel figured out a way to end the fight quickly and she decided to do it. Ben on the other hand, did not pick up on it. His plan was to trade blows with her until she was tired. He came up with this plan because he noticed that her attacks were getting sluggish. He started to push harder as Hazel began to step back.

Finally, Ben saw an error in Hazel's sluggish movements or so he thought. He saw an opening and took it but Hazel deliberately left an opening for him to see. Ben jabbed at Hazel's opening but Hazel sidestepped his jab and brought her spathe down on his spear. The spear fell from Ben's hand and he turned around to try to counter Hazel's attack but he was too late. His neck met Hazel's spathe as he turned around to counter her attack.

"Yield", Hazel commanded.

Ben dropped his shield and said, "I yield". Cheers erupted from the crowd and Hazel waved in response. Ben collected his weapons and left the arena sadly.

"Hazel Levesque will advance to the next round", George announced loudly and the crowd erupted again. Hazel gave a slight bow and left the arena.

"The next match up will between Reyna of the 2nd and Alexis of the 4th", George announced. The aforementioned names began to gather their weapons and walk unto the battlefield. The two girls walked to the middle and shook hands. They then separated from each other and waited for Zeus' command to begin. Lightning struck the ground but the girls did not attack right away. They began to analyze each other. Reyna noticed that she was thick so it could only be assumed that thickness comes with slowness. Reyna decided that she would have to win with speed. Alexis tried to analyze Reyna in a similar fashion but she simply could not find a weakness. Both girls had decided that it was time to fight but neither was willing to start.

Eventually, Reyna decided to attack first. Reyna attacked with a first of speed and Alexis struggled to keep up with Reyna. Both girls traded blows but Alexis was taking more damage than Reyna. Both girls continue to trade blows but it was obvious that Alexis was losing; it was obvious because more cuts decorated her body than Reyna's. Reyna eventually managed to disarm Alexis as she dropped both of her hunting knifes. Reyna smile evilly at Alexis when her blades fell.

"Any last words before you are forced to surrender?" Reyna asked tauntingly.

"Yes actually, your cockiness will lead to your downfall in this tournament. You shall come very close to winning and then you will lose", Alexis replied smugly. Alexis' words angered Reyna so Reyna charged at Alexis foolishly. Alexis anticipated this and got ready to use her trump card. When Reyna was close enough to hit Alexis, she summoned a ball of solar energy and aimed it at Reyna. Unfortunately, Reyna had thrown her spear and it knocked out Alexis before she could fire it. Alexis fell to the ground slowly and the crowd erupted once again.

"The winner of this match is Reyna from the second cohort", George announced. The crowd cheered in approval of Reyna's advancement and Reyna took a slight bow before exiting the arena.

"The next fight shall be between Perseus Jackson of the fifth and Samantha of the third", Amanda barked. Both participants gathered their weapons and walked onto the battlefield. When they arrived on the field, they shook hands and took up their battle stances. Perseus opted to just use riptide while Samantha wielded a spear and shield.

"Where is your other sword?" Samantha asked curiously.

Perseus smirked before saying, "I won't be needing it". Samantha became upset after Perseus' comment.

'How dare such an inexperienced fighter of such a disgraceful lineage disrespect me" Samantha thought angrily. However, Perseus had seen her fight before and he saw many flaws in her movements. Perseus opted out of using his dual blades because he did not want to embarrass her too badly. Both participants were brought out of their consciousness when lightning struck the ground.

Samantha charged at Perseus with all of her might; anger was evident in her attacks. Her anger made her stronger instead of weaker like it made most people. Her attacks were more ferocious and coordinated than Perseus had observed in her previous fight. Both participants traded blows back to back and Perseus was starting to get tired. He knew that he could not waste too much energy on this fight so he had to end it quickly. Perseus jumped backwards and said, "My apologies but this fight ends here".

"We'll see about that", Samantha said before charging at Perseus again. They both engaged in an exchange of blocks and parries once again but Perseus had a plan. They exchanged blows for about 2 minutes before the ground began to shake. It was just a little tremor but it was enough to knock Samantha off balance. Perseus seized this golden opportunity and slammed the butt of his sword against her head. This blow effectively left Samantha unconscious and the crowd was literally stunned. They were stunned because at one point there was a stalemate and then Samantha was knocked out shortly after. Perseus received a small applause from the fifth and fourth cohorts but most of the crowd was quiet. He waved at those who acknowledge his victory then he waited for the Praetors' announcement. One could easily come to the conclusion that Perseus was not a fan favorite. He was not a fan favorite because he was a threat to the cohort hierarchy system and most people were starting to realize that he was a serious one. Many did not want change and that is what Perseus' victory signified.

"The winner of this fight is Perseus of the fifth cohort", Amanda announced with a smile. Perseus gave her a small smile before he left the arena. "The next and final fight of this round will be between Jason of the 1st and Robyn of the fourth", Amanda added.

At the sound of the announcement, Jason and Robyn walked towards the center of the arena. They shook hands and prepared for battle. As Jason was waiting for his father to start the fight, he kept on replaying Perseus's fight and what it signified. Jason knew that he needed to send a sign to everyone to prove that he was stronger than Perseus. To do this, he knew that he had to end this battle quickly.

Jupiter's lightning finally hit the ground and Jason attacked quickly with his sword. Robyn was caught off guard by his quickness but she managed to block his attack. She and Jason went on to trade multiple blows. Jason began to get frustrated because his intention was to end his battle quickly. Jason then decided to end the battle with a display of his powers. He jumped back from Robyn and smirked. He held his gladius to the sky and summoned a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt struck the gladius and the sword absorbed it. The sword then began to cackle with electricity and Jason pointed it at Robyn.

"Any last words before this battle ends?" Jason asked smugly.

"Yes, Perseus is going to win this tournament and he is going to kick your ass. Luck is not on your side", Robyn replied with a smirk.

Jason glared daggers at her before saying, "I am destined to be great and neither you or that pathetic spawn of Neptune can stop me". He then attempted to blast her but Robyn would narrowly dodge the lightning bolt each time. Luck was truly on her side and it made sense to Jason since she was a daughter of Fortuna after all. Jason was beginning to get even more frustrated than he previously was and charged at her. Their blades clashed and they begin to trade blows again. The only difference this time being that Jason summoned for lightning in the midst of the exchange. Luck could not save Robyn at this point as she was struck in her chest with it. She was immediately knocked out of consciousness and the crowd went wild with excitement at the display of power. They even stood up to give Jason a standing ovation. He had succeeded in his goal as even the fourth and fifth cohort were starting to believe that he was going to win this tournament.

"The winner of the final match of this round is Jason Grace", George shouted and the crowd erupted once again.

The crowd quieted down and Amanda said, "The participants who advanced to the next round are Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Reyna Arellano, Perseus Jackson and Jason Grace. Just a reminder that one of these participants will be the uneven one. This means that you will automatically be in the semi – finals but you will have to fight both semi - finalists. If the uneven defeats the first participant, then his/her second battle will be the final battle".

"It is now time to start the second round of this tournament", George said as he took out the first two names out of the jar. He looked at the names before saying, "The first fight of this round shall be a clash between the children of two members of the big three". George added. The crowd waited anxiously for George's announcement. They wanted it to be Perseus vs Jason but at the same time they wanted that fight to be last. A fight such as the one they expected should be a grand finale.

"The first match shall be between the sons of Neptune and Jupiter. Or as you all better know them as Perseus Jackson of the 5th and Jason Grace of the 1st. The crowd erupted in cheers once again but this time it was different. It was different because everyone was cheering and there was no division. This was the fight that everyone was waiting for and the fight that may change this camp forever. This was the fight that would either break or uphold the cohort hierarchy system. This was also the fight with two individuals who possessed extraordinary powers. Everyone in the arena expected a good fight and they knew that the boys would deliver especially after their little scuffle that sent shockwaves through the arena.

The anxiety levels of both boys overflowed when they discovered that they would finally be going against each other. Both boys wanted to fight each other but now the moment was here and the moment felt surreal. Both boys knew that a lot was riding on this fight and that a lot of people including their fathers were watching this battle. The boys had fought in many battles previously but the pressure for this one was overwhelming. Perseus was determined to fulfill his promise to the fifth and bring honor to Neptune's name while Jason was determined to defend the camp's structure and follow his destiny of dominance that was given to him as a son of Jupiter. One thing both boys knew was that they had to win. In that moment of anxiety, Perseus finally decided what to name his other sword. He decided to name it 'Aestus' which means tide. He decided to name it this because he shall rise just as the ocean's tide and those who oppose him shall fall.

Perseus and Jason grabbed their weapons before they started to make their way towards the center of the arena. The crowd fell in silence as both boys walked towards the middle. Everyone in the arena was on the edge of their seats. Even the immortals tuning in to watch the fight were a little anxious. They boys walked to the middle and just stared at each other. Neither of them attempted to show respect by shaking the other's hand and to be honest, no one expected them to.

"Your charade ends here sea spawn. I will expose you for the weak bastard you are", Jason announced loudly.

"Oh but my dear cousin, it has only just begun. I think I am more worried about that big ego and how it's going to be damaged after this fight", Perseus replied just as loudly. The crowd heard what both boys said but no one responded.

"You seem to forget that I am destined to lead this camp. Lupa even said that I have the potential to surpass Romulus and Remus", Jason said boastfully. Jason expected to anger Perseus by saying that but he did not get his desire.

"Do you want to know something funny?" Perseus asked with a chuckle. Jason remained silent but it was evident that he was getting angry. Perseus really knew how to get under his skin. "Well I guess that you no longer possess the courage to speak, you must be scared. How disgraceful", Perseus added. The crowd gasped in response to Perseus's comment, there were even a couple of boos as well.

Jason's body began to cackle with electricity as he said, "You are dead as soon as my father gives the signal to begin". Jupiter heard his son's statement and struck the ground a couple seconds after. Jason summoned a lightning bolt once again and it struck his sword but he did not plan to blast it this time. He planned to use it to increase the amount of damage done when his sword pierces his opponent's skin.

"Isn't it a little bit too early for a light show?" Perseus asked tauntingly. Jason growled before he charged at Perseus. Perseus parried Jason's attack and the two boys began to trade blows. Perseus wielded his two swords skillfully and was able to match Jason's sword/shield combination easily. As they traded blows, Jason began to realize that Perseus was a superior swordsman compared to him. His only advantaged was that his blows packed a bigger punch than Perseus' because of the lightning that it absorbed. They traded blows for about ten minutes and everyone could see that both boys were in horrible conditions. They were decorated with deep gashes and cuts plus they were bleeding profusely but they continued to trade blows as none of them wanted to lose ground.

They traded blows until Perseus finally managed to disarm Jason. Perseus and Jason clashed swords for the hundredth or so time and shockwaves perpetuated the entire arena. As the swords clashed, Perseus quickly used his other sword to cut Jason's sword arm and Jason screamed in pain. Jason tried to hit Perseus with his shield but he did exactly what Perseus wanted him to do. He stepped on the ground and it shook which threw Jason off balance. Perseus smirked and kicked Jason in his chest. After his kick, Perseus followed up quickly by smashed Jason's head with tide's sword handle. Perseus's combo sent Jason flying a couple feet away from where he stood and he landed on the ground motionless.

The crowd fell in a deep silence as they watched Jason's motionless body on the ground. Perseus leaned on his two swords for support because he was tired. He wanted to believe he had defeated Jason but he felt like that attack would not keep the son of Jupiter down. And he was right because Jason started to get up as the countdown was coming to an end. He slowly rose to his feet and the crowd erupted in cheers. Perseus took up his blades once again and got ready for round two. Jason grabbed his sword and touched the bruise that Perseus' combo left on his face.

"You thought you would defeat a son of Jupiter that easily huh sea spawn. Well no worries, I shall show you why Jupiter is the king of God and also why I am destined for greatness because of this fact", Jason screamed. Then he pointed his sword to the sky and fired a lightning bolt into it. The sky began to darken and the entire arena was eventually completely covered by dark clouds. As the clouds came, so did lightning. Lightning danced around the arena and it occasionally struck some part of the arena. Jason laughed as he saw that he succeeded in summoning a lightning storm. "Die sea spawn", Jason screamed. Jason pointed his sword at Perseus and multiple lightning bolts soared towards him.

Perseus tried to dodge the lightning bolts but he was not fast enough. The bolts connected with Perseus and he was electrocuted. He slowly fell to the ground and the crowd erupted in cheers. The Praetors assumed that there was no way that Perseus would get up from that so George announced, "The winner this battle is Jason…".

"No wait!", Amanda screamed as she pointed at Perseus. He was struggling to stand up but he was standing up slowly but surely. Everyone stared in disbelief when they saw that Perseus was standing after that attack. Jason on the other hand was extremely pissed off and his anger was reflected in the lightning storm as it started to bounce around all over the place. Jason was about to strike Perseus again when a massive earthquake shook the arena. The earthquake lasted for a couple seconds but it's impact was evident. There were cracks all over the arena as a result of the earthquake. Jason looked at Perseus and realized that he was the only one that was not affected by the it. It was at this point that he realized why he fell off balanced earlier, he remembered that Lupa had taught him that Neptune was also known as 'the earth shaker' so it only made sense that his son had some control over that domain.

Perseus smiled evilly as he looked at Jason. He held out his arms and summoned water from the cracks. Water flowed out of the cracks and rushed to the tip of Perseus' sword tips. "Are you ready to end this battle Grace?" Perseus screamed.

"Bring it on", Jason screamed as he channeled all the lightning he had control of into a blast directed at Perseus. Perseus sent the water that he controlled with riptide to counter Jason's attack and sent the other wave around to catch Jason off guard. Jason saw this and took to the skies. He blasted Perseus again but his blast was cancelled out by water that channeled his lightning into the ground. Jason landed because he was getting exhausted by the intensive use of his powers. He knew that he could not last much longer and that he needed to end this fight quickly if he had any hopes of winning. Jason came to the conclusion that he could only afford one before attacked before he collapsed from exhaustion.

Jason put away his sword and held his hands to the sky. He summoned as much lightning as he possibly could. Perseus saw what he was doing and he was beginning to get worried. He did not think that his water shields would protect him from that much lightning. Perseus suddenly came up with an idea to counter Jason's attack. Perseus began to summon as much water as he possibly could. The crowd stared in awe as both boys summoned an enormous amount of water and lightning. Everyone could tell that these boys were still not fully in control of their powers but yet they were so powerful already.

"It's time to end this once and for all", both boys screamed as they unleased their attacks. Jason released his lightning but also added a gust of wind to repel the water. Perseus released his wave of water and then summoned his two swords. He plunged riptide into the ground and water exploded all around the battlefield. Perseus then ran towards Jason but Jason could not see around him because he was blinded by the water. He summoned his sword and tried to anticipate Perseus' attack. Perseus burst through the water wall and attack Jason but he parried the first blow. However, Perseus was given a burst of energy when he broke through the water wall. This energy enabled Perseus to disarm and knock out Jason in his next move. Perseus slammed the bottom of his sword against Jason's head with so much force that he knew that Jason would not be able to get back up like how he did before.

Perseus planted tide in the ground and leaned on it. The water around the arena began to simmer down and the crowd finally got the chance to see the outcome of the fight. The crowd was in absolute silence. Even the Praetors were too shocked to announce Perseus' victory. When Perseus realized that everyone was in shock he announced, "You all doubted me because I was the son of Neptune and a member of the 5th cohort. You all thought that I was destined to be a loser automatically as well. Well now your precious chosen one is unconscious as a result of my hands and this is just the first blow that I have delivered to the system that oppresses me and my family. You all will treat Neptune and the 5th cohort honorable before I die and that is a promise".

The 5th, 4th and some members of the 3rd cohort roared in response to Perseus' declaration. The other cohorts were just silent because before Perseus was all talk but now everyone knew that he had the muscle to back it up. Shortly after his declaration, Perseus collapsed from exhaustion. "The winner of this match is Perseus Jackson and he will move on to the semi – finals", Amanda announced. Medics then rushed onto the battlefield to take the two boys to the medical center.

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